Pacific Travel

Making up the southern flank of Pacific island nations (if a flank it could be called), Tonga sits on such a longtitude to have given it the honor of being the first nation to welcome in the new millenium. Tonga is also the only Pacific kingdom. The local tourist board will try to convince you that theirs are the Friendly Islands, but this is a distinction that is a little more doubtful: Tongans were historically a war-like people who looked down on pacifists, and the person who originally dubbed them the Friendly Islands, the venerable Captain Cook, was unaware of the Tongan plot on his life.

Gorgeous and culturally fascinating it is, however. Alongside the usual Pacific fun of swimming, snorkelling and diving, Tonga awards caving opportunities both underwater and on land. Local music and dance are somewhat modernized but stylistically as close as it gets to traditional Tongan styles. Kava, the local inebriant, is as popular among travellers as it is among the locals.

Sights and Activities

Whales

Tonga has some excellent possibilities to go out whale watching and offers the unique chance to go swimming with them as well. The best places to go are the Vava’u group of islands which are an attractive tropical paradise of clear warm turquoise waters, beautiful coral reefs and white sandy beaches fringed with and coconut palms. In the waters there are at least 7 different types of whales and an encounter with sperm whales or the big humpbacks in these tropical waters is a memorable experience. The best time is from July to September.

Mapu’a ‘a Vaca Blowholes

The Mapu’a ‘a Vaca Blowholes (‘Mapu’a ‘a Vaca’ means ‘Chief’s Whistles’) stretch for 5 kilometers along the southern shore of the island of Tongatapu. The Blowholes are best viewed on days when there is a strong wind and at high tide. Then the maximum amount of water is forced up through natural vents in the coral limestone, thus forming geyser-like fountains of seawater up to 30 meters high.

Tongatapu

Tongatapu has more to offer than the blowholes. Take your time on the biggest island in the east of the Tonga chain to admire the archaeological sit of Mu’a. It contains the richest concentration of archaeological remnants in Tonga. Here you will see pyramids which once functioned as royal tombs. The Ha’amonga ’a Maui Trilithon is a large gate of stone. There are marks on this gate which function as a way to see when the sun sets and rises and when the longest and shortest days of the year are. This means people living here in the past were already aware of the presence of a certain form of time and were actually quite developed back then. Nowadays, the people here are a big draw still and it is a very relaxing island to visit.